[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8833 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8833

To mend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to direct the Secretary 
of Agriculture to establish and maintain Regional Food and Supply Chain 
               Resource Centers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2024

  Ms. Spanberger (for herself and Mr. Flood) introduced the following 
        bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To mend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to direct the Secretary 
of Agriculture to establish and maintain Regional Food and Supply Chain 
               Resource Centers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``American Food Supply Chain 
Resiliency Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. REGIONAL FOOD AND SUPPLY CHAIN RESOURCE CENTERS.

    The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

               ``Subtitle H--Food Supply Chain Resiliency

``SEC. 298. REGIONAL FOOD AND SUPPLY CHAIN RESOURCE CENTERS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator 
of the Agricultural Marketing Service, shall enter into competitively 
awarded cooperative agreements with eligible entities to establish or 
continue the operations of not fewer than 12 Regional Food and Supply 
Chain Regional Resource Centers to support small-sized and medium-sized 
producers of agricultural products and small-sized and medium-sized 
agricultural businesses through activities, which may include--
            ``(1) offering coordination, technical assistance, and 
        capacity building support to small-sized and medium-sized 
        producers of agricultural products and agricultural businesses;
            ``(2) supporting supply chain and value chain 
        coordination--
                    ``(A) in the region in which such producers or 
                businesses are located; and
                    ``(B) with the Department of Agriculture, other 
                Federal, State, and Tribal agencies with relevant 
                resources, regional commissions, and other Regional 
                Food and Supply Chain Resource Centers;
            ``(3) providing technical assistance to such producers and 
        businesses;
            ``(4) providing grants or other financial assistance to 
        such producers and businesses looking to expand production or a 
        business or start production or a business in such region; and
            ``(5) carrying out such other activities as may be 
        specified by the Secretary.
    ``(b) Focus on Tribal Supply Chain Issues.--At least one Regional 
Food and Supply Chain Resource Center established pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall provide coordination, assistance, and capacity 
building support to address supply chain issues faced by Indian tribes 
and Tribal organizations (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)).
    ``(c) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity (including an entity 
        representing a partnership) seeking to enter into a cooperative 
        agreement under this section shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application, at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require, including how the 
        Regional Food and Supply Chain Resource Centers established by 
        such entity will address food and agricultural supply chain 
        issues faced by underserved communities.
            ``(2) Regional diversity.--In selecting eligible entities 
        to enter into a cooperative agreement under this section, the 
        Secretary shall ensure the regional diversity of such entities.
    ``(d) Term.--The term of a cooperative agreement entered into under 
this section shall be not less than 4 years.
    ``(e) Coordination.--A Regional Food and Supply Chain Resource 
Center shall, as a condition on entering into a cooperative agreement 
under this section, agree to coordinate with other Regional Food and 
Supply Chain Resource Centers, when appropriate.
    ``(f) Report to Congress.--Beginning not later than 2 years after 
the date of the enactment of the American Food Supply Chain Resiliency 
Act of 2023, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a 
report on--
            ``(1) with respect to the activities carried out by the 
        Secretary under this section--
                    ``(A) a description of such activities; and
                    ``(B) the impact of such activities on supply chain 
                issues faced by small-sized and medium-sized producers 
                of agricultural products; and
            ``(2) with respect to the activities carried out by the 
        Regional Food and Supply Chain Resource Centers under this 
        section--
                    ``(A) a description of such activities;
                    ``(B) the impact of such activities on supply chain 
                issues faced by small-sized and medium-sized producers 
                of agricultural products and agricultural businesses; 
                and
                    ``(C) any grants awarded by Regional Food and 
                Supply Chain Resource Centers to such producers and 
                businesses.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a producer network or association;
                    ``(B) a food council;
                    ``(C) a federally recognized Indian Tribe (as 
                determined pursuant to section 104 of the Federally 
                Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 
                5131));
                    ``(D) a State government or regional authority;
                    ``(E) an institution of higher education (as 
                defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
                1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001);
                    ``(F) a nonprofit organization;
                    ``(G) an economic development corporation; and
                    ``(H) such other entities the Secretary determines 
                appropriate.
            ``(2) State.--The term `State' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, 
        Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).''.

SEC. 3. AGRICULTURE INNOVATION CENTERS PROGRAM.

    Section 6402(a) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 
2002 (7 U.S.C. 1632b(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) research, technical assistance, support services, 
        outreach, and other services to strengthen, maintain, and 
        secure supply chains related to agricultural inputs and 
        agricultural products produced in the United States.''.
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